Religious leaders play a key role in society as peacemakers, which is as important a function as ever in today’s painfully divided world. That’s why we have high hopes that their recent announcement will help soothe some of our current cultural malaise: The world’s religious leaders have reached an agreement to swap hats for a while.
Wow. What a beautiful display of shared humanity!
Following weeks of peace negotiations, leaders from Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism have reached an agreement that they will all trade hats, and then they’ll wear their new hats for a little while, or at least until they get bored. The leaders came to the unanimous decision that they would each pass their hat to the person to their left, meaning the Pope will now be wearing a turban, an Imam a kufi, and a Chief Rabbi a mitre—a powerful gesture that sets an excellent example of what harmonious coexistence truly looks like.
“Hats are clearly a critical part of practicing and expressing one’s religion, or why else would practically every religion have its own important hat?” said Dr. Mark Ruteberger, a professor at Harvard Divinity School. “By trading their head-garb, these leaders have set an incredible example for their communities of empathy, understanding, and peace. It’s not a stretch to say that now that the Dalai Lama has worn a yarmulke, a Buddhist person in your community might be a lot more likely to eat a rugelach.”
So powerful. This incredible act will surely inspire peace for decades to come. Share if this story has made you feel more tolerant, and hit like if it didn’t!
